The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1887-07-14
ON THE battlefield.
The Blue and the Gray Join Hands.

clock in the tower of the county court
house last night sounded the first stroke
of ~, the midnight stiffness was broken
by strains from the bugle of "Way Down
Upon the Suwanee River" Scarcely had
its notes died away, when members of the
Philadelphia brigade and Pjckett's divi.
sion began the celebration of the glorious
Fourth with the booming Of cannon on
East Cemetery hill, and the roar of fire
crackers in town. Pandcmonium reign.
ed supreme for an hour and half. No
such noise has disturbed this little village
since those three memorable days of '69.
This morning att o'clock, the members
of Pickett's division proceeded to the
court house and were called to order by
Colonel Aylett. Some one promised that
every member of the division present
should give 25 cents toward paying tho
expense which Mrs. Pickett incurred on
the visit. The proposition was accepted
with cheers and the way money ratified
on the secretary's desk was sufficient
proof of the esteem in which Mrs. Pick.
cit is held by the division.
Resolutions we're then adopted thank
ing the Philadelphia brigade for the hos.
pitable manner in which they had treat.
ed them; the town authorities for The
way they had received them their own
officials for the trouble and time they had
given to bringing about this reunion, and
the citizens for their fraternal greeting,
The meeting then adjourned, and out
side the building they joined in procession
with the Philadelphia brigade. With
each Pickett man linking arms with a
Philadelphian, the line proceeded to the
Eagle hotel, where the party took car.
risges and started over the battle field.
Fully one hundred carriages were in line.
Mrs. Pickett held a reception on the very
ground over which her husbands COM
mand charged, and within few yards Of
the woods under whose cover he, twenty
years before, had formed his division.
The Pickett men were first formed in
line and one by one advanced and were
introduced to the wife of their old com.
mander, by Colonel Clopton, of Richmond
Virginia, by name, stating their regiment
and rank. She had word for all, and
all had word for her. The Philadel.
phia brigade was next presented. Her
SOD, George Pickett, stood at her side and
when she dropped hand it was at once
grasped by him.
The people then moved to the highest
ground, and Colonel Bachelor formed
the survivors of Lemper's, Garnett's and
Armistead's brigades, Of Pickett's divi-
sion, in the order they had been when
the charge began, and asked the com.
mander of each regiment to step forward
and point out the position his command
occupied. Mrs. Pickett was the center
| of attraction on the field. She had gath.
cred some daisies and clover heads. A
| member of the brigade asked her for q
few. She gave them to him with smile
and one by one they were given away to
be treasured as mementoes. Her auto
praph was also eagerly sought, and she
refused no one.
To say that Pickett's men are pleased
would be putting it lightly. They are
delighted with everything and everybody.
In the words of confederate soldier /;
"We are pleased, and all to pieces; but
Cowan this time has captured us body
and SOUL"
Among the incidents of the reunion,
which recall the battle, is coincidence
by which the Hibernia Rifles, the hand.
some escort of the Philadelphia brigade,
have won the title of "band.box" soldiers.
For the past two days the Hibernians
have found the spacious steps of the COL
lege church so delightfully."- cool and shady
that they have spent most Of their time
sitting there. Just before the battle,
twenty.four years ago, a company of
young students from a Pennsylvania
college had themselves mustered in as
| home guards and went forth voluntarily
| to repel the bold invader. Some of Ear.
ly's dusty and ragged veterans scooped in
the whole command, marched the unhap'
py recruits to the same steps, kept them
sitting there all day, continually deriding
them with remarks.
| "Don't they look pretty III their nice
| new uniforms ?" "Guess they must have
been raised in band-box," etc.
While the band was playing a medley
of confederate and union war songs, as
the veterans were started on their ride
over the field, it struck up "Yankee
Doodle" Instantly the rebel "yell" and
union cheer showed that the war song of
their fathers. above all others, had touch
ed sympathetic chord in the breasts Of
both.
This evening religious service was held.
In the absence of the chaplain, Rev. j.
K. Demorest was asked to speak before a
gathering Of Pickett't men, mainly, in the
court house. He spoke to them on the
subject of the day-"How much liberty
and brotherly feeling, characteristic of
our land, should endear it to all its citi.
zens."
This evening Mrs. Pickett held re.
ception at Pickett's division headquarters
and for an hour shook the band of every
one presented to her. Immediately after
the reception, she was serenaded by the
Grand Army of the Republic band. The
Pickett men then adjourned to the gar.
den of the house where the 69th Pennsyl.
vania men are holding forth. Speech.
making and toast offerings was then the
order until late in the night. Cowan's
battery and the Wheeler Rifles departed